On October 31st2019, Qingdao International Business Association held a successful event at Link Space. In perfect coworking spirit, the four speakers Kerstin Kaehler, General Manager of German Enterprise Centre Qingdao, Jessica Aubourg Fauchoix, Founder of The Open Door, International Coworking Space, Zhao Wen, Founder of Link Space and Georg Hofäcker, Founder & CEO of X-f@ctory together shared with us their experience as part of the coworking space industry in Qingdao.

Work-life-balance, work for sense, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, co-petition, create, innovate, share and care…all of those words are more and more used in the business vocabulary. Millennials, digital breakthrough and different crises (economical, environmental or social) are drawing forward a new way of thinking and for sure a new way of working. 

In that context, and before the background of the “gig economy”that leads to more freelance work, 10 years ago the phenomenon of coworking space appeared in San Francisco. China seldom takes long before embracing new business: the coworking space industry in China is booming especially in the Tier I cities (like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen…). In the Tier II cities, it is still at the beginning of a growing market. All four speakers are confident that the coworking market will grow because it is highly focused on very individualized clients with each coworking space different from the other due to their client focus.